What is speaking in tongues?

[Heather Prentice]

I was talking to a man the other day, and he was saying that 15yrs ago he was laying his hands on someone praying, and all of a sudden he found himself speaking a different tongue. So in the last 15 years when he is praying he is praying in tongues. So my question is what are some peoples thoughts here on the PB about this?

Thanks

 

[Puritan Sailor]

If this man is not praying in an actual language, then it's not the Scriptural concept of tongues. In Scripture, "tongues" means the ability to speak an actual human language, not some meaningless babble. And it was a gift which was used to reveal "mysteries" just like prophecy. These were part of the signs of an apostle. The gift was to be used with an interpreter present, and only then. See 1 Cor. 12 and 14. Otherwise they were to keep silent because only that which edifies and contributes to our understanding can be part of corporate worship. As for private use, there's no such thing mentioned in Scripture as a "private prayer language." There have been several threads on this topic before on the PB. Feel free to do a search.

 

[Scott Shahan]

I was talking to a man the other day, and he was saying that 15yrs ago he was laying his hands on someone praying, and all of a sudden he found himself speaking a different tongue. So in the last 15 years when he is praying he is praying in tongues. So my question is what are some peoples thoughts here on the PB about this?

Thanks

Heather,

Here is a well written paper concerning "tongues" that I found on monergism; I hope it is helpful to you.

http://entrewave.com/view/reformedonline/Pentecost, part 5.htm